San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) – Scott Hairston hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run off Brian Wilson in the ninth inning to push the Mets over the Giants, 5-2, in the opener of a three-game series.
Carlos Beltran and Nick Evans tacked on run-scoring singles in the last inning, while Angel Pagan hit a two-run homer earlier in the game for New York, which has won five of six overall.
Nate Schierholtz provided the Giants’ offense with a home run and sacrifice fly. Wilson (6-2) took the loss in relief of Ryan Vogelsong, who battled through seven innings and yielded two runs on seven hits and five walks.
The Mets countered one of the Giants’ three All-Star starters with a strong outing from R.A. Dickey, who also allowed two runs on seven hits over seven frames.
San Francisco’s All-Star closer, however, did not fare as well, as Hairston came off the bench and worked a full count against Wilson before skying one that kept carrying into the left-field seats.
New York piled on two more, as Beltran knocked in Pagan with a base hit and scored on Evans’ two-out single up the middle .
Francisco Rodriguez set down the Giants in order in the bottom half to record his 23rd save of the season.
Pedro Beato (2-1) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to earn the win.
The Mets wasted a bases-loaded chance in the fourth, and Schierholtz broke a scoreless tie in the bottom half by plating Pablo Sandoval with a sacrifice fly. Sandoval doubled leading off the inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games.
New York took the lead in its next turn as Pagan sent a two-run blast over the wall in right-center, but Schierholtz tied the game in the sixth when he found McCovey Cove for his seventh home run of the season.